We view with grave concern the accusation lodged against six members ofthe Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines that they have conspired with the ‘Left’ and the ‘Right’ to topple down the current dispensation in this country. We abhor the way by which those who are opposed to or critical of the Arroyo regime are either tried by publicity without the benefit of proving their innocence or, much worse, are abducted, tortured, illegally detained or salvaged.
The concerned Bishops are known to us in one way or another. They are highly respected leaders of the Church whose moral integrity are beyond reproach and whose deep compassion for the poor, deprived and oppressed are known far and wide. On many occasions we have crossed our paths and journeyed together in our common pursuit of peace based on justice. The accusations thrown against these men of the cloth by questionable people and magnified in the media by the Arroyo regime have shocked our senses. In this regard, we in the leadership of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente are expressing our outrage against these false accusations in the strongest possible terms.
We can only ask ourselves why even bishops are not spared from intrigues and false accusations. Is this a deliberate effort by a regime, whose legitimacy is being questioned on all fronts, to divert public attention from the unsolved abduction and salvaging of people who are critical of the present dispensation? Is it an attempt to diffuse the mounting outrage against purported bribery initiatives coming from the seat of power in this country? Is it a way to deflect the ever-increasing restlessness snowballing across classes and sectors of Philippine society, which, at any time, would erupt across the archipelago? Is it a crime to work for the common good and promote the welfare and well being of human beings created in the image of God and of the integrity of creation?
We can only express our solidarity and all out support to the Most Reverend Antonio Tobias when he say that ‘he has committed no crime and that he would abide by the verdict or judgment of the Filipino people’. We also urge the faithful to pray for our bishops that they may never waiver from their commitment to serve justice and peace to the beleaguered people of our country. May their commitment to the message of the Gospel of Christ continue to be the source of their joy as they are being led to trial. Let us also find inspiration in their courage to confront the darkness that is engulfing the very soul of our nation and with them continue to thread the path towards the establishment of just society under a government that genuinely serves the interest and welfare of the Filipino people.
Pro Deo et Patria,
† THE MOST REVEREND ALBERTO B. RAMENTO, DD
President, Supreme Council of Bishops
23rd July 2006
City of Manila
City of Manila
